Daniel was thoroughly impressed with Gon. He was getting stronger throughout the whole game with Netero. He only felt more and more useless as time passed by. Even though Gon never grabbed the ball in the end, he did managed to make Netero use his right hand.

He couldn't remember much after that. He found himself waking up next to his sister, sleeping off the exhaustion. When he woke, all he could hear was the sounds of snoring.

A loud sound vertebrated through the speakers to let the people know there's an announcement.

"I apologize for the long wait." Zaikaria starts to stir, lifting an eyebrow at the remaining announcement. "The airship will soon arrive at its destination."

Daniel turns to face his sister "Hmm... I wonder what the next third Phase will be..."

Zaikaria groggily replies "We'll find out once we get there."

"~"

Daniel looks around the place, seeing nothing but a large amount of space.

What is this place?

There's nothing here.

Bean speaks up to the group, drawing everyone's attention except Daniel, who's constantly looking in Killua's direction after spotting him. "Ahem... Everyone, the exam's Third Phase will begin here, at the top of trick tower."

"Trick tower?" a random candidate asks. Daniel doesn't even bother to look at him, still infatuated with Killua.

"To pass this place, you must reach the tower's base alive. The time limit is seventy-two hours. With that, we will now begin the Third Phase. I will pray for your success."

As Bean leaves, Killua glances in Daniel's direction noticing him staring at him as if he's checking him out, Killua blushes as he looks away.

Daniel looks around, wondering what he did wrong.

Zaikaria nudges her brother, peeved "It was the way you were looking... You were staring at him like Vastorie would look at Nathaniel when his not looking."

Daniel blushes as he too, turns away in embarrassment "Oh god..."

"Best of luck everyone!"

On that note, Daniel leaves his sister alone to apologise to Killua "I'm sorry Killua... I didn't realise I had that look on my face."

Killua nods his head "It- It's fine! Try not to do it again..."

Daniel smiles widely "Ok!"

Gon looks over the side as Daniel, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio join to look as well. Gon lets out a long noise of amazement.

Daniel looks down at the bottom of the tower, judging it to be too high to jump down.

"Are we supposed to climb down?" Leorio asks as Daniel looks towards him "Well, it's too far to jump..."

Kurapika sighs "Both of those ideas sound like suicide..."

A man laughs behind the group "Maybe for a normal person." Daniel and the others look at the man.

Eighty-six is the number on the man's brown shirt. He wears a utility belt above his navy blue jeans. One his hands he wears greenish-blue fingerless gloves and boots that give him better grip on the floor.

The man walks up to the side, climbing down it "But a top-class rock climber can handle this, no problem."

Killua exclaims with little to no enthusiasm "Wow..."

"He's going down pretty fast." Gon points out as Daniel murmurs "His like a... lizard..."

The sound of flapping wings echo in the distance, creating the sounds of an impending doom.

The man below starts to scream. Daniel looks down below seeing a couple of really ugly birds. They looking like monstrous sized babies with sharp teeth and wings attached to their back.

One of them grabs the man, flying away with its spoils as another three of the ugly baby birds chase after it, hoping to get a piece as well. Daniel gulps "Well..." Leorio finishes of his sentence "G- Guess we can't climb down the side..."

"Yup... That wipes climbing off the 'to-try' list..." Daniel nonchalantly states, as Kurapika murmurs in surprise soon after "Yeah."

"~"

Zaikaria and Daniel look around, trying to find an obvious exit. Gon suddenly screams out "Kurapika! Leorio! Daniel!" Daniel turns to look in Gon's direction "I wonder what Gon wants."

"There's only one way to find out." Daniel looks at his sister as she shrugs her own comment off. Daniel quickly runs up to check out what Gon wants before she could object.

As Daniel makes it in time for the beginning of the conversation, Kurapika is the first to ask "What is it, Gon?"

Gon kneels down, "Look. I found a hidden door." He pushes one of the blocks in a little, creating a small crack. Daniel looks in awe. Man... I must be blind as a bat. I didn't even notice any of the blocks...

Kurapika smiles "I see now. So we can descend by flipping the stones."

Daniel turns to look at Leorio speak up next with a smile "Okay! Great job, Gon! Let's head on down!"

"But I'm confused."

Daniel tilt's his head at Gon. Confused?

Leorio asks "About what?"

Gon lifts a finger pointing at the locations "There are also hidden doors here, there, over there, and over there, as well."

So many doors in one small place...

"~"

Zaikaria looks up after hearing Daniel's thought.

So many doors in one small place...

She grins, looking over to her brother, and his friends "A chance. I'll tap Gon and sees if this plan works."

"~"

Leorio silently whispers in confusion "That many?"

Kurapika raises a hand to his chin "Five hidden doors, located in the same area. It sounds suspicious to me. Some could be traps." Kurapika looks up, noticing Zaikaria walking in mid conversation, with a single tap to Gon's shoulder "What are you boys talking about?"

Killua shrugs his shoulders "Nothing that you need to worry about..."

Zaikaria shows a sign of irritation towards Killua "Is that so..."

Gon cuts Killua off, explaining even though the boy never wanted anything to be said "I was just pointing out that there were multiple doors in this area."

"Gon!" Killua whined, peeved that the boy would say that.

"How many?" She pushes her hair out of her eyes, from the sudden drop in height when looking at Gon.

"Five..." Gon sighs.

Killua whines for the second time "GON!"

Gon pouts "What~ there's no harm in telling her."

Killua sighs, giving into Gon's statement "Fine... but I wanted to tell only Daniel about the fifth spot." Daniel smiles inwardly at Killua's comment.

Zaikaria smirks "I'm sorry... but Daniel stays with me. I have a better judge of traps then Daniel..."

Daniel smiles sheepishly "Yeah... That's true..."

Killua raises an eyebrow, only to get shot down by Daniel shaking his hands to avoid answering the question.

Kurapika asks another question next "You think one of the trapdoors will be a trap?"

Zaikaria shakes her head "Unlikely, but below us, many traps will fill the areas..." Zaikaria thinks to herself. I'm trying to figure out if some areas will allow multiple people...

Daniel nods his head, pointing at mostly Killua and the group his with "Can I take the trapdoor? Maybe you can get down with another one."

She raises her hand to object "I rather get stuck with you, if I can. Plus, I can make sure your safe and sound... you don't want me worrying about you the whole way down."

Daniel nods sheepishly "Yeah... and I did promise dad I'll stick to you like glue..."

Killua sighs. "Whatever... about earlier, it looks as though each door can only be used once..."

Leorio asks "Seriously?"

Killua nods "We tried opening a door someone else used, but it wouldn't budge."

Kurapika continues "Judging by the door's size, only one can fit at a time."

"In other words, only one person can use each door. We'll have to split up." Killua finishes, a smile widening across his face. As Killua is smiling, Daniel feels his heart begin to race. "Gon and I decided that we're each going to choose a door."

Gon looks up "No hard feelings if one of us springs a trap! What are you guys gonna do?"

Leorio smiles "I can live with that. Luck is part of the game..."

"I have no objects." Kurapika cuts in after Leorio.

Gon looks at Daniel and Zaikaria. Zaikaria holds up her hand to speak on behalf of Daniel and herself. "I'll try to find another two traps doors for us." Daniel nods, feeling a little crushed on the inside.

Kurapika smiles widely "Then that settles it." Leorio, Kurapika, Gon and Killua pick their own spot.

"Let's go, on the count of three." Leorio speaks to the rest of the group.

Gon smiles "I guess this is goodbye for now."

Kurapika speaks up next "We'll meet up again, at the tower's base."

Killua smiles widely "Let's go... Daniel, I'll see you down below."

Daniel nods as he gives thumbs up to Killua. Killua then looks down at the trap floor "One!"

Gon gets ready to trigger the door "Two!"

Together the four of them yell, jumping onto their trap door. "Three!" When the door triggers, sending them down below, Daniel feels a sense of loneliness again. He holds his chest, wondering to himself on why he feels like this. It's always when Gon and Killua leave... I feel so alone without them...

When Daniel remembers Killua's last words to him, it brings a smile to his face.

We'll meet up again, at the tower's base.

"~"

Zaikaria waits for something to happen. Her smile soon dissipates when she loses her connection to Gon. Opting for a second chance, she activates her En, feeling four different presences down below. A smile graces her lips as she's walking towards Daniel. Thank you, En. That does come in handy.Now I know that there are rooms that allow multiple people. Tapping Daniel's shoulder, Zaikaria motions in a certain direction "I found two trapdoors close to each other. And I thought we might try our luck."

Daniel raises an eyebrow at Zaikaria "And you tell me now... Man... I'm really blind." Zaikaria chuckles "If makes you feel any better, I scanned over them twice before realising not all is as it seems."

As Zaikaria motions to her brother to go to a certain spot, Daniel sighs "It does... Just a little..." Although, I wish I could be with Killua and Gon... maybe they got separated... I hope I do get to meet them down at the end of this exam...

Daniel steps near the trapdoor, smiling widely. I will get to meet them again! I know it!

Daniel and Zaikaria jump on their respective doors, falling to the level down below. Daniel rubs his butt when he lands, looking around the room. His surprised that Zaikaria is in the room with him.

He asks, unsure if that's really her "Zai?"

Zaikaria casually responds as she dusts her off "Yep! It's me alright." She looks around the room casually, spotting a pedestal with something on it. When she looks at what's on the bench, picking up one of the two watches on top of it up. A key dangles across the watch, surprised to see it's impossible to remove "I wonder what this is for..."

Daniel looks up, reading a plaque just above the stand "Welcome to the best friends forever. The two of you will be tested throughout this route, on how well you work as duo. One slip and you may end up going down together."

Daniel looks at Zaikaria in concern. She smiles, snapping the wrist watch on with the time. She picks up another watch, handing it to Daniel. With a smile he accepts the watch, snapping his on his own wrist as well as well.

Looking at the watch reveals that they had already lost forty-five minutes. "Hey Zai, do you think that if only one person got stuck her, they'll have to wait?"

"That is correct. My name is Lippo. I am the prison warden here, as well as the Third Phase examiner."

Daniel looks around spotting a speaker on the wall "We're in a prison?"

He continues on without answering the question "Multiple routes through this tower have been prepared. You have chosen the path of best friends forever rule. Survival will be the key, if you wish to clear this phase of the exam. You're both required to reach the end of each section at the same time. If one of you fails to be present at the next door, you'll fail. Each section requires two keys to open... and the key only work if the person is alive."

A door is revealed behind the two, locked like the examiner said. Two key holes are present, one for each key "You are free to start the Third Phase, best of luck."

When Zaikaria presses the key into the lock, she looks back at Daniel "I want you to trust me no matter what. I'll always protect you."

Daniel smiles at her, pressing his own key into the lock "I know you will!"

The two twist their wrist, the door opening like the examiner said it would.